Leicester City have agreed a deal with Brighton and Hove Albion to sign winger Tommy Watson on loan.
The Foxes have faced a major summer of change following their relegation to League One, having to sanction several exits in order to fund their summer transfer business.
Watson Set For League One Switch
One of those key players that left the club was Jeremy Monga, who headed to Leicester in an eight-figure deal, with Manchester City swooping late on to beat Arsenal to the teenager’s signature.
Now, according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, they have found a replacement for the left winger in the form of Tommy Watson, who has been a figure of interest across the EFL this window.
The Brighton man has yet to truly break through in Fabian Hurzeler’s plans at the Seagulls, and was loaned out to Millwall midway through last season, playing 12 times as the London club faltered in the Championship playoffs.
Another spell in the second tier had been tipped for the former Sunderland man, with Derby County, West Ham United and others all tipped for a potential loan move.
However, it is Leicester who have now won the race and will link up with Russell Martin’s team ahead of their opening game of the season in the EFL Cup against Northampton Town.
City are yet to splash out a fee for a player this summer, having signed Conor Chaplin as a free agent and a loan deal for Manchester City’s Christian McFarlane on top of a reunification with Alex McCarthy for the former Saints boss now in charge in the East Midlands.
Statement Signing For Leicester
Having been perceived as being at a disadvantage considering their opponents in striking a deal for Tommy Watson, Leicester City have ultimately won out and signed a worthy replacement to Jeremy Monga, Abdul Fatawu and potentially Stephy Mavididi should he also leave the King Power Stadium.
The 20-year-old had a tough first season at Brighton and Hove Albion, which culminated in a loan move to Millwall which did not pan out due to the successes of Femi Azeez and Thierno Ballo.
While he certainly could have been a regular for a side like Derby County or Preston North End, who are targeting wingers amid their hunt for Oxford United’s Stan Mills, he instead drops down to League One with Leicester.
By no means the finished article due to the high amount of player turnover at the Foxes this summer, Russell Martin’s squad is slowly shaping up to be a serious contender for the third-tier title, and if Watson’s form while at Sunderland is anything to go by, he could be a pivotal player in those hopes.
After hitting a slump over the past 12 months, a reset in League One could be the perfect move for the winger as he looks to reassert himself as a star for the future and someone who could challenge for regular minutes at Brighton.
